Nov 7, 2016

During a friend's birthday get-together, one of my friends complimented that my face has been glowing and was asking what I'm doing differently. Honestly, I didn't realize it, although I was aware that the pimples were out for the last few months (touchwood!). Her kind words made me ponder about the many changes I've been embracing over the past couple of years. I have summarized them as 8 reasons below:

(1) First and foremost, it HAS to be Yoga. I have been pretty much consistent at it for the past 1.5 years. Yoga has brought so much change in me, both in my body and in my mind. I can't explain the feeling of calm and peace in words but it just feels wonderful. During Yoga sessions, my teacher insists on breathing practice and I try to take deep breaths at least during that one hour of practice every morning.

(2) My passion towards healthy eating. It has become a way of life and I don't get tempted by any of the packaged junk. I cook for my family and eat home-cooked food most of the time. We eat out once or twice a week at the max. I cook from different cuisines of India and I believe that "eating local" is the key to good health. I have stopped the 4 whites almost completely. No white sugar (I use cane sugar instead). I don't use maida at home for regular cooking. Even during my occasional baking activity, I use wheat flour instead of maida or try to increase the wheat flour:maida proportion. Instead of iodized salt, I use Himalayan pink rock salt. White polished rice has given way to hand-pounded rice, millets and Rajamudi red rice. I eat my dinner 2-3 hours before bedtime. I have cut down a LOT on tea/coffee - milk tea once a day and green tea twice a day. I'm a vegetarian (and most of the dishes I cook are vegan). I love eating a lot of vegetables and fruits. I don't smoke or drink alcohol.

(3) Expression of my individuality. 2016 deserves a special mention in my life story for this very activity. Each of us has a keen interest or passion towards something. Most of the times, we don't make time for it, given the pressures of work and life. Identifying one's passion is in itself hard. On top of that, making time for it is even more challenging. If we suppress our expressions, it causes more stress and in general, lack of focus or purpose in life. EthnicPalate though very small in the idea/scale/execution, is an expression of myself, my passion and my beliefs/values. I look forward to spreading awareness on healthy eating using local foods through EthnicPalate every day. I'm so grateful that a few who have tried my food so far have loved it and have been kind to share positive, encouraging feedback.

(4) Importance of good sleep. I NEED my 7-8 hours of sleep every day. I will never take up any work or activity that will grab my sleep hours. I don't take pride in doing night-outs or long working hours. I would instead feel guilty if I ever do so.

(5) Exposure to limited pollution. I used to commute to work until a few months back. Though my office is hardly 6-7 kms from my home, the pollution and traffic was taking a toll on me. Due to various other personal reasons, I switched back to working from home and I couldn't be more happier.

(6) Staying positive. I used to hold grudge against a few people who have let me down when I needed them the most and as a result, a lot of self-pity for myself. I have come out of that phase by keeping myself busy with productive activities. I neither watch TV nor read newspapers. I stay away from negative people or cynics. Just an hour of talking to such people drains me out completely. I try not to take stress about events or people at work.

(7) The belief that beauty is within. I don't find visiting beauty parlors a relaxing or de-stressing activity. I find quite the opposite. The constant complaints I receive from the beauticians "Oh ma'am, you have so many blackheads", followed by the painful process of pricking them out - Why would I want to undergo such torture every month, just because the "media" says that women MUST do this clean-up? The cost, time, pain - so not worth it. I follow a few herbal facial procedures at home and I'm satisfied with them. I no longer use ANY chemicals on my face or body - cream, lotion, lipstick, nail paints etc. I have switched completely from shampoo to herbal hair wash powders. I don't succumb to the pressure created by the society, media or the carefully crafted marketing material of multinational brands on their definition of a woman's beauty.

(8) I appreciate the fact that I'm unique, different and weird in my own way and I allow myself to be who I am. I love myself for this "attitude". I don't care about other's opinions or if people judge me for who I am. I cannot control anyone's thoughts and so I keep myself busy by working on myself and my various interests. There are miles to go, lots to learn and ideas to try.

What works for me may or may not work for you. The only takeaway from this post is "work on yourself consciously". Don't let others opinions bother you. It is YOUR life. Live it the way you are comfortable with.

Nov 2, 2016

The synopsis of the plot intrigued me, especially the "freak weather disturbances" phrase. Skyfire by Aroon Raman is a fast-paced thriller which links various issues from child kidnapping to weather change.

Right from the first chapter, the suspense builds up at a steady pace, leaving many ends loose until it all ties up together towards the end. The author deserves credit not only for keeping up the interest levels of the reader but also taking the time to explain a scene and build up the narrative.

I haven't read his earlier books but references to Shadow Throne in a few places in this book made me want to pick it up soon. It is difficult to write a review without spoilers, especially for a thriller novel. But I'm proud to say that I guessed the negative character right, somewhere around the middle part. Maybe, there is a bit of Meenu in me! :-) She is my favorite character in the book - her strength lies in figuring out missing pieces of the puzzle at critical junctures that other two lead characters might miss easily.

The only area where I felt the author could have done better was that some of the gory descriptions and violence could have been avoided.

If you'd like to read an interesting page-turner, I highly recommend Skyfire. And make sure, you have some uninterrupted time on a weekend afternoon to finish this book in one go.

P.S. The book was sent to me by Flipkart as part of their "bloggers initiative". The review is my honest and unbiased feedback of the book.